Red House Painters
Red House Painters
Down Colorful Hill
4AD, 1992
The joys and sorrows of life, through their shaping of experience, bring an enrichment that offers substance and meaning to human existence in a brilliant form of dynamics which enhances the sensation and impact of each extreme. These experiences define our lives in the struggle for understanding our inner and outer world, as we shift between shadows in pursuit of something to believe in enough to hold onto until our grip is eternally weakened by forces of inevitability. To freeze-frame these moments as to last us a lifetime is to keep alive the spirit of long lost dreams, faded hopes, passionate yearnings, and departed lovers. This embrace of life’s beautiful melancholy, in conjunction with a realization of life’s awakenings, shapes the essence of the Red House Painters song.
Down Colorful Hill, the 1992 debut release of the San Franciscan act, is a collection of songs serving as glimpses of reluctantly accepted realizations, laments for faded love, and dreams lost to merciless time. Mark Kozelek’s introspective poetry serves as the soul to these dispirited songs, and his beautifully expressive singing carries this music through fields of timelessness. Cautious guitars and minimalist rhythms drive sparse songs that act more as requiems expiring in realms of distorted timeframes, building gradually in theme and intensity before threatening to ascend in a swirling vortex. From this, atmospheres of quiescent faze develop to obscure divisions between sadness and elation. The gentle beauty of this music is stunningly effective, merging the warmth of life’s joy and voids of despair as one unified experience in the wholeness of existence.
In "24", Kozelek comes to terms with the realities of aging, singing "and I thought at fifteen that I’d have it down by sixteen, and twenty-four keeps breathing in my face, like a mad whore..". This acknowledgment of the passage of time and its inescapable grasp reflects the invincibility of youth succumbing to the understanding and acceptance of the inevitabilities of mortality which ultimately increase the appreciation of life towards a greater meaning. Elsewhere, "Medicine Bottle" is a bitter recount of failed love and Kozelek’s collapse into the despair of "not wanting to die out here, without you". The title track is a melancholy march unfolding in splendid form, eventually settling into the kind of sedation typically felt after the rise and fall of unyielding passion. The remembrance of a long lost friend in "Michael" brilliantly portrays the heartfelt sincerity that would become the most significant current defining all of Kozelek’s work.
These songs are snapshots of moments in time, and as such, communicate genuine emotions common to the human experience. The beauty of our lives comes from finding meaning through experiences of both suffering and delight, towards a fulfillment in the embrace of life’s wholeness. The music of Red House Painters, in even its most dejected moments, reaches for this understanding and ultimate appreciation of what makes our lives complete, even the struggle through the dark where only hope guides us to distant light ahead.
11/03/05
Tracklisting:
1. 24
2. Medicine Bottle
3. Down Colorful Hill
4. Japanese To English
5. Lord Kill The Pain
6. Michael
Red House Painters
Red House Painters (Rollercoaster)
4AD, 1993
Not to diminish the role of the other musicians involved, Red House Painters are/were primarily a vehicle for guitarist/vocalist/poet/songwriter Mark Kozelek. Based out of San Francisco, Red House Painters’ sound is founded on acoustic/light electric guitar textures, a simple yet solid rhythmic backbone, guided by Kozelek’s unique, expressive voice. The result is music that conveys heartfelt emotions through a strikingly honest, genuine and sincere delivery. There is nothing complicated about this music. It is a highly effective work in sonic simplicity, carrying an elegant, plainspoken charm.
Inarguably, it is Kozelek’s lyrical delivery that acts as focal point of the music. His is a voice that resonates all around and within the listener, even long after the listening session is complete. Certainly not equipped with the most natural ability of a "proper" singing voice, it is his delivery, the character of his voice, the nakedness of his expression, that ultimately prevails. Indeed, this voice is the identity of the band’s sound, however, it is the voice as deliverer of these particular lyrics that escalates the effect. Clearly, Kozelek is an introvert who is deeply effected by even the slightest interaction. He broods over the intricacies and remnants of intimate relations, recalls with disturbing clarity (lost) moments of his childhood, and identifies relevance of scenery to each occurrence of his life. These words are contemplations of one man’s life experiences and the environments that surround them, yet written in such a way that it is not at all difficult or cumbersome for the listener/reader to understand, relate to or sing along with. In fact, the simple and sincere tone in which the words are constructed and delivered bring a certain comfort, a certain warmth, into the experience. The effect is one that conjures up feelings of surface contradiction that, in context of the listening experience, make absolute perfect sense. For instance, a song such as "Rollercoaster", in which Kozelek recounts a long lost day of his childhood, saddened at how he can never relive this day ("except in memory"), instills feelings of a pleasant sadness, a tear-tainted smile.
Kozelek’s work is the magic of this music, but it is the backdrop created by the rest of the band that completes this expression. Together, all aspects of the sound working as one, combine to create highly visiual and emotional music. Kozelek’s words and the music that soundtracks them, though forlorn and melancholic in its deepness, paint scenes of vastly stretched prairies, long evening road trips through pastures and fields, a lone windmill in the distance and, old, lonely houses. Like the best of John Denver, Nick Drake or even Cat Stevens (three of Kozelek’s musical inspirations), the music instills visions and emotions in conjunction, each essential to the other. And yet it is not a singular vision with which the band operates. The sonic template ranges from plaintive acoustic/vocal works ("Take Me Out", "Down Through") to restrained electric guitar mood rock ("Grace Cathedral Park", "Mistress") to near-disturbing exercises in sloth-paced despondency ("Mother", "Funhouse").
This second full-length recording from Red House Painters stands as one of the most fantastic efforts in their discography. "Katy Song", "Take Me Out" and "Strawberry Hill" are among the finest moments ever to be heard from this act. Mark Kozelek is simply an amazing songwriter with an impeccable sense of engaging dynamics and heartfelt emotional delivery. This is music of untouchable beauty, even within it’s most dejected moments. Music of love, alienation, scenic wonder, despair….music of life.
4/11/2004
Tracklisting
Red House Painters
Ocean Beach
4AD, 1995
For the band’s final studio recording for the 4AD label, the Red House Painters generally remain on the musical path they’ve tread since their 1992 debut. Of course, that is not at all a bad place to dwell, and the material that makes up Ocean Beach is again highly remarkable, maintaining the same level of fantastic songwriting and emotional fulfillment. Beginning with the pleasantly sunny instrumental "Cabezon", one aspect that may seem apparent with these songs is the "lighter" emotional weight, the songs taking in more of a breezy atmosphere. The sometimes disturbing despondency of past songs like "Mother" and "Evil" are absent here, which may or may not elude to Mark Kozelek’s ridding of the twisted black hauntings from past ghosts. "San Geronimo" and "Over My Head", while being engaging works, are perhaps the band’s brightest efforts thus far. The heavy contemplation of life’s events remain however, to fuel the gorgeous piano/vocal work "Shadows", and "Drop", which stands as one of the most emotionally moving works from the band.
4/12/2004
Tracklisting
Red House Painters
Songs For A Blue Guitar
Supreme/Island, 1996
Opposing musical perspectives between the 4AD label and Mark Kozelek saw Red House Painters depart from their long time home, signing to the ill-fated Supreme Recordings for the release of Songs For A Blue Guitar. Originally to be a Kozelek solo work, Songs For A Blue Guitar, while keeping largely true to traditional RHP themes (sonic and lyrical), welcomed elements that had yet to be explored, at least to this extent, within the band’s repertoire. Works such as the 12 minute-plus "Make Like Paper" and the 11 minute reworking of Paul McCartney’s "Silly Love Songs" feature lengthy exercises in lead guitar solos that bordered on near ridiculousness. There’s a sense of a more 70’s inspired rock inspiration during certain sections, perhaps a breaking out from the restrained sonic mellowness and minimalism of past efforts, as elaborate guitar workouts and extended instrumental "jams’ make appearances throughout. Kozelek’s production supports this direction, as the instruments sound "fuller", particularly the drums, which are given a heavier weight compared to past treatments.
This is another outstanding collection of songs. The forlorn, country-tinged sadness of the title track, the reflective gaze of "Trailways" and the reworking of The Car’s "All Mixed Up" are classic RHP moments. Songs like "Revelation Big Sur" and "Priest Alley Song" express the beauty and sadness of life in delicate, heart-gripping fashion. Kozelek’s sensitive and painfully aware poems breathe and pulse through the music, conveying the comfort of a loved one’s favorite chair, the breathtaking fragility of love’s mysteries, and the sentiments of faded photographs. Seeming to have crawled from under the shadow of his emotionally and mentally crippling childhood memories, Kozelek now embraces, no matter how painfully, his adult status, though he still, and may always, struggle with intimacy, as he reaches for the completeness of his being. Yet to reach the age of thirty, he carries insight beyond his years.
The self-indulgent sonic explorations can prove to be an obstacle, for the more impatient in particular. However, one would think patience a learned virtue from those who appreciate past Red House Painters efforts. The instrumental tangents aside, Songs For A Blue Guitar shows growth of spirit. The album is well rounded, ranging from the lighthearted to the deeply serious and emotionally crippling. In retrospect, the work stands apart in relation to the remainder of the RHP discography, yet only in sonic terms. The heart and soul of the music is intact, and at the very foundation of this band’s work, it is this core that proves most essential.
4/14/04
Tracklisting
Red House Painters
Retrospective
4AD, 1999
Retrospective is a 2 CD compilation chronicling the band’s career on the 4AD label. Disc one features selections from each release as chosen by label founder Ivo Watts-Russell, and to avoid the futile exercise of approaching this collection with "best of" intentions, the inclusions are described as his "perceptions of the band". Considering the space with which he had to work with, Ivo’s picks give a useful, if not complete, account of standout moments from a discography that is wealthy with such highlight material. "Katy Song", "Medicine Bottle", "Drop" and "Rollercoaster" inarguably stand as monumental, but what is most appealing with this collection is the diversity of the material chosen. These songs span the gamut of the Red House Painters emotional spectrum, from the dejected and disturbing "Evil" to the breezy, sunlit meadow of "Summer Dress’. The true appeal of this compilation however, lies with the second disc. Made up of demos, outtakes, live performances and previously unreleased material all compiled by the band, the inclusion of this second disc makes this an essential item for long time fans. Granted, these versions are not as accomplished as the album versions, but they are certainly of interest to anyone who appreciates these songs. It allows for a different perspective towards songs like the full band performance of "Shadows" and the live acoustic version of "Mistress". Retrospective works as an adequate account of 4AD-era Red House Painters, as well as serving as a useful introduction for newcomers, while the second disc rewards the already converted.
4/15/04
Tracklisting
Disc One:
Disc Two:
Red House Painters
Old Ramon
Sub Pop, 2001
The demise of Supreme Recordings left this album, and the band, dwelling in limbo for over three years. This material was recorded in 1998, and remained shelved during the search for a suitable label. During this period Red House Painters dissolved, while Mark Kozelek recorded two solo works, oversaw a John Denver tribute project and landed a role in Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous. All the while, Old Ramon began to take on the luster of a "lost" album, never to see the light of day. Esteemed inde/alternative label Sub Pop rescued the work from such a fate, releasing the album in the spring of 2001.
At it’s core, this material is the most mature work by the band yet. "Void" and "River" are far removed from early efforts such as "Uncle Joe" or "Medicine Bottle". The music has shed the dramatic darkness and overbearing psychoanalysis that characterized earlier works. Instead, the musical composition and lyrical thematic have achieved a level of confident awareness of the self and of the world. The music has not flowed so effortless, so eloquent, as presented here. The fluidity and elegance of these songs exist on a plane that remains simply untouchable. At times, such as in the eleven minute-plus splendor of "River", the music builds from hushed delicacy into a breathtaking crescendo, the likes of which can be utterly soul embracing. The fragile sadness that has long been a staple of the sound is present, yet it is of a healing essence unheard of previously, as evidenced in the heartbreaking "Smokey" and warm waves of "Void".
The music resonates beautifully, yet has relieved itself of the overwhelming emotional endeavors of the past. Make no mistake, the songs possess much feeling and move the heart and soul of the listener effectively, yet these movements are of a calmer, more nurturing nature. Nothing here leaves one cold, as the songs portray a warmth that takes up residence within the soul, even during the most downcast moments. The rockier inclinations of Songs For A Blue Guitar are not forsaken, as "Byrd Joel" and especially "Between Days" attest, yet the indulgent guitar solos that were an obstacle for some (4AD in particular) have been banished.
Of particular interest are Kozelek’s words. His craft has evolved considerably. The man has now completely left behind the brooding darkness and painful regret and sorrows of his past. Instead, he now focuses on the subtle beauty and meaning of simple intimate gestures, the substance of the slightest event and impact of his environmental surroundings. Of course, these ideas are not alien to his work, yet the emphasis has not been quite this central. He possesses a remarkable sensitivity to life’s simplicity, the elements of relationships and of existence that we all take for granted much too often. He expresses an unyielding affection for his cat in "Wop-A-Din-Din", recalls an intimate affair in "Cruiser" ("I’ve been so lonely in this bed—it’s good to sleep with you instead—it’s good to talk all night instead") and pays homage to John Denver in "Golden". Though his words still carry sadness and yearning, he appears to have fully embraced the beauty within these feelings and therefore is allowed to revel in the full spectrum of human emotion and thought without the burden of despair or remorse.
Whether or not the delay of release for this album slowed down any momentum the band had established is not so easy to indicate. What is certain however, is that the band have come full circle with this effort. The level of composition featured here is astounding. Their sound has blossomed exquisitely over the years. In a time when music of substance and deep feeling, of beauty and timelessness, is rejected in favor of superficial intentions and misdirected bravado, when music as a true artistic expression has been overshadowed by commercialism, Mark Kozelek and the Red House Painters are a breath of the freshest air.
4/18/04
Tracklisting
Red House Painters Discography
Down Colorful Hill (4AD, 1992)
Red House Painters [ the "Rollercoaster" album] (4AD, 1993)
Red House Painters [ the "Bridge" album] (4AD, 1993)
Shock Me EP (4AD, 1994)
Ocean Beach (4AD, 1995)
Songs For A Blue Guitar (Supreme/Island, 1996)
Retrospective [2xCD compilation] (4AD, 1999)
Old Ramon (Sub Pop, 2001)
